The Art of the Polaroid

Fans of good beer and pub trivia know Molee McGarry as co-owner of Uisce (say ISH-ka), the Irish pub on Commercial Street. But this Friday, somebody else will have to pull the pints, because Molee will be pulling Polaroids.

Molee discovered photography as a teenager in Bellingham. She studied commercial photography in Seattle, and went on to perfect her craft in Manhattan. Now she’s launching Studio Red here in Bellingham with fellow photographer Laura Pearson.

Studio Red is holding a black tie open house in on Friday, October 5, from 7-10 p.m. in their space above the Pickford Dreamspace. I talked to Molee about her work, the event, and the art of the Polaroid.

Q: Molee, you’re offering custom pulled Polaroid portraits for $10 on Friday. Can you explain what a pulled Polaroid is?

A: We will be doing a technique called Polaroid transfers, in which we transfer the Polaroid we take onto paper. The process creates a very beautful effect. These transfers are then one-of-a-kind, as there is no negative.

Q: Why do you work with Polaroid cameras?

A: I have always loved the effects you can get with Polaroid. I have had the opportunity to work with many different Polaroid cameras, experimenting with many different techniques. At one point I was working in New York with the 20×24 polaroid camera, of which there are only five in the world.

Q: What’s special about your work?

A: The process which we are doing is unique in itself, and I have always felt that Polaroids make people look beautiful in the way that they are soft overall in their quality. Also having something that can never be reproduced as far as having a negative is concerned- that I think makes it even more unusual.

Q: Your invitation says Black Tie. Do we really have get dressed up?

A: Everyone is welcome to come as they like. Considering we are pulling one-of-a-kind transfers we wanted people to be dressed up, but this is totally up to the person coming.